The Start of the Story (Kind of)

India said, "When you've been married three years you can START the adoption application for our country." So, on March 27, 2007 -exactly 3 years of marrital bliss :), Kim called Holt, our adoption agency and asked them to start our Homestudy update - we were ready to begin the process of adopting an Indian girl.

The Homestudy update was supposed to be quick, (after we got refingerprinted, new reference letters, new tax summaries, etc) - done in 1 month. It dragged on for what seemed like forever. But in August it was finally complete. At that point, the Holt India program said we would go on a list and it would like take 1 1/2 years for the match. A little anxious, I called in November to verify where we were on the list, as we studied Waiting Children and tried to see if our family was a fit. They said, we were number 18 on a list of 21 (the list wasn't moving very fast). But because we were open to so many issues (toddler, medical unknowns, etc) it might go a bit faster than 1 1/2 years. I prepared myself for at least a year's wait until the referral and then another 6 months until we could get her.

On December 19th, I got a call from the Director of the Holt India program - Dean Hale. A call from the director, when we're in this wait mode, meant heart stops, find a seat fast, and try to remember to breathe while I'm also trying to memorize everything he says. In short, he said he had the youngest baby he's seen come across his desk in years and she's perfectly healthy. Would we like her? Breathe . . . Breathe! Don't believe it!

"I think you've made a mistake," I said. "Last month we were number 18 on a slow moving list of 21, we asked for a toddler, and we're open to all kinds of Special Needs. Are you sure you don't have the wrong family here?"

He hadn't. She was ours if we wanted her. Since it was Christmas, it took us a little bit of time to get through the mandatory rituals required before we're allowed to offically accept her. In that time, the confessions started coming out from all corners. "We know you don't think you're a baby person, but we thought you needed to have a baby, so we have been praying that God would give you a baby."

Honestly, God's handprint is clear to us. Jia loves babies, and we could see that a toddler would likely be competition for mommy whereas a baby she wants to help mother (though we still expect some jealousy issues). Also, I had prayed, "God, you know India is a rough place on little girls - especially orphans. Protect our girl like the Lion of Judah you are. You know as well as we do, the sooner you get her out of there the better." He seemed to say, "Yep, your heart and mine are on the same page here. I've pulled a few strings to get my baby to you about a year earlier than any other babies come out of India. Now you love and care for, as her forever parents." So, on December 30th, we faxed a resounding "YES, we officially accept her!"

God's pulled a few more strings on this timeline, and now we're thinking we'll get to leave in only 2 weeks (third week of May)! The Indian government has finished nearly all of their court work. The only things left are the application for her passport and our visa applications, all of which are in process. Once we have the final word, we will be making travel arrangements.

This trip our travel group will be twice as large as our trip to China. Obviously we're going. And, of course big sister Jia Anastacia is coming. She is so excited to have a sister! Kim's friend Stacy is coming too. Her job is to help us with Jia, aka Energizer Bunny. Stacy is the only person we know who has been able to wear Jia out. Not only that, she has lived and worked in developing countries, she's incredibly tough, she's really easy to travel with, and Jia adores her. We couldn't have special ordered a more perfect friend, travel companion, and helper.

Right now the blog title is Baby Saloni. We're still debating the exact name we will give her. Her birth mother named her Saloni, which means "beloved" and "beautiful," so we will keep that name. In addition we are considering adding Asha ("hope") and Kiran ("sun- or moonbeam"). Just what order they should be in is still up in the air. Please comment on this post and help us decide by voting your favorite order, tell us why, and let us know who's leaving which comments.